Winds of Change
by hippiechick2112
Summary: The fourth part in a series of four, "Prelude to Danger". When the agents finally arrive at Stalag 13, Hogan must save them from death in the hands of Hochstetter. But, how can he when they're accused of being spies already?
1. May 4, 1943: The Agents are Arriving

**Winds of Change**

**Note and Disclaimer:**** I'll be saying this every time. I don't own the characters to ****Hogan's Heroes****. I would like to thank those who have created this series. However, the character I have created in this series, Colonel Michalovich, belongs to me, so if you want to use her in any story you wish to write, please email me with permission first. Thank you!**

******

A cool breeze rustled into Hogan's quarters as he was sleeping. Aware of the cracks in the window shutters as he woke up, as he had every other day, the commanding officer of the Stalag 13 prisoners gained consciousness on an early spring day to a cold room. _Damn wind_, he thought as he opened the inner shutters to another useless day at a prison camp with more missions to run for London. Already, the German guards had allowed the outer shutters to be opened, allowing the prisoner to feel the early morning's cool winds and the camp's spotlights, which were often on, especially on darker days and nights. In which case, the day was chilly and threatening to give all of the barracks around the camp a leak in the roof.

_Like Klink is going to care_, Hogan thought, his optimism lost, he wished for once, for the remainder of the day. _I agreed to be senior P.O.W. officer because it was convenient, but barely missed out on being their commander on these missions. The tunnels were meant for something and the Germans haven't detected anything. _He sighed. _What the hell else can I do for these men? I have a responsibility to the men and I will take it, no matter what, because they I am their commanding officer. These men need me._

Already, the day was young. It was 0530 hours, a dark hour without sunshine to warm the prisoners. Roll call was soon and it was expected that, as a message from the Underground came through the previous week told them, a particular train was coming through the town of Hammelburg and dropping up some important prisoners. Hogan was anxious himself as he remembered what the day was, forgetting that strain the previous missions had on him. To him, though, this particular train carried precious cargo and the work had been worth it, even if it had been done with a little persuading. Indeed, it was going to _save_ the Allied Forces. And all it had taken was a few months to accomplish what was going to take place on this dreary morning – Tuesday, May 4, 1943 – and London had been happy that the transfer of the two prisoners was going to be completed. The Underground, who had worked with these two people in the past, was equally anxious, as Hogan was, to get them out of their previous location in Poland and get them to release information about the German rocket base destined to destroy the Allied Forces.

First, though, interrogations had to be conducted by the local Gestapo units before they could work. It was final step in getting them situated into Stalag 13 and it could drastically change within a matter of seconds if the situation turned into a deadly game of cat and mouse.

_Damn Krauts_, Hogan thought and it was not for the first and final time. He remembered his own interrogation by Klink and the Gestapo as he sat back down on his top bunk. Joking around, stating his rank, name and serial number or being silent had saved him. _Damn Hochstetter and his Gestapo goons! Damn their methods of interrogation! They could kill our chances of ever defeating them with a touch of a button. London doesn't even know any information about this rocket base, only the agents do. And Nikki…oh, God damn her sometimes. She said she wouldn't follow me. And look where she is now: a colonel, an agent, codename Desertstar, who is up to her knees in trouble. She and Nancy know too much for their own good._ Hogan paused in his thoughts. _Well, she could have been ordered as she was told to go on this mission for London. I doubt it though. Selfish as she is, she could just follow me and get herself into trouble. She's been known to do that. I mean, she wanted to follow her father back to the Soviet Union, but I wouldn't let her. She couldn't. It means much more than giving up her U.S. citizenship and military rank._

A knock on the door, always interrupting Hogan in his ponderings, made the Colonel jump. _What now?_ Hogan thought as the door opened to reveal Schultz, the barracks' guard.

"Colonel Hogan, roll call is soon." The simple words, instead of the Sergeant's usual rumble and the sirens that Klink had installed the previous week, confused Hogan. The sirens irritated everyone, the Kommandant included, but it had saved time for the guards. Indeed, they only need to have the sirens ringing and the prisoners filed out instead of each guard running to the barracks to get everybody outside for roll call.

"What's going on, Schultz?" Hogan asked. "Usually, Klink has the guards sound the sirens and have the prisoners assembled outside." Quickly taking out a chocolate candy car from under the pillow (the chocolate itself almost broke in Hogan's hands, as it was melting from the heat), Hogan handed over the bribe to Schultz in exchange for information. The men, before they had Hogan as their commanding officer, had Schultz trained to help them at times. Hogan had only confused the guard further, as the time of his confinement passed, and trained him to see, hear and know nothing. The prisoners also helped him to make him think that he is as stupid as he thought he was.

"The Kommandant is sleeping presently," the guard said, stuffing the chocolate bar in his coat, a first in a long time. Hogan thought it strange. "Roll call is soon." The message was repeated, but why the Kommandant was sleeping, instead of seeing the prisoners up at roll call, was baffling Hogan.

"Why? Does the Kommandant _not_ want to be disturbed?" Hogan asked, reaching under the pillow again. He was worried that Klink might mess up the arrangement that day and screw with the Gestapo's prisoners. He handed Schultz another candy bar, with promises for more strudel from LeBeau, but it yielded no better results.

"WHO said he wanted to be disturbed?" Schultz asked, scratching his head as he pocketed the bar. "He only asked that he NOT be woken up. Captain Häffenulz is going to be at roll call."

Hogan nodded, avoiding the temptation to shake his head at the redundant statement Schultz said. The Captain himself, a temporary aide for Klink for the day, was sent to Stalag 13 on his way to the Russian Front. _He's perfect and not bound to ruin anything. However, with Klink in bed for the time being, we might need someone to keep him there. Häffenulz is usually fit to handle affairs. Why not stall his transfer?_

"Thanks, Schultz," Hogan said as the guard left, telling the other prisoners about roll call within the next minutes. Growls about the early hour were said, but the prisoners knew, everyday, the hours of roll call. They could not change it.

Soon enough though, Hogan's main executers in the schemes against the German war effort – Kinch, Newkirk, LeBeau and Carter – gathered around the Colonel in the doorway of his quarters. "What's next, Colonel?" Kinch asked first.

"We know 'ld Klink is sleepin'," Newkirk said. "But, why?"

"Because the filthy Krauts are always lazy," LeBeau said with a hateful sneer.

"Or m-maybe because Klink wants no one to bother him," Carter said, aware of human nature and its need for relaxation. He wasn't too fond of Klink, though, and tried to stay his cheery self…and as far away from Klink as humanly possible.

"But we _don't _need to bother him," Hogan said. "We can't have Häffenulz waking Klink up. The Captain can handle things with Hochstetter and easily get us our prisoners. He's as stupid as Klink is, except he isn't much of an idiot. _However_," Hogan cautioned as his men tried to interrupt him, "we need to keep Klink in bed. He could easily mess anything up."

"How?" LeBeau said. "We can't just order Klink to stay in bed."

"Perhaps we should," Hogan said with a glean in his eye.


	2. Bribing and Waiting

After roll call with Captain Häffenulz filling in for Klink, Hogan went in search for Schultz as he had not counted them in roll call (Schultz's second-in-command of the guards, Corporal Langenscheidt, had been there). He had overheard Häffenulz say to the guards around him that Schultz was ordered to keep things quiet for Klink, so had intended to keep the Sergeant of the Guards there for when the prisoners came to the camp. Indeed, said Sergeant of the Guards was standing near Klink's quarters, marching back and forth in an oblivious manner (albeit he looked to be a little alert, as if to show that he was doing his job well). Hogan would have figured, anyhow, that he would be with Klink and somehow, would keep the Kommandant within his quarters until the appropriate time came for him to come out. _The Iron Eagle never fails_, Hogan thought with a smile.

"Hey, Schultz," Hogan began as he approached the large sergeant.

"How GOES there?" Schultz asked as he turned towards Hogan, his gun posed to shoot, although always empty of shells.

"It's only Glenn Miller, Schultz," Hogan said, always randomly choosing a famous character when asked who he was. "How's it going?"

"Oh, it's only you, Colonel Hogan," Schultz said, lowering his gun. "You should not SCARE me like that."

"I know, Schultz," Hogan said quickly. "Say, what are you doing? Where's Klink? Is he still in there, sleeping?"

"Yes, the Kommandant is still sleeping," Schultz said, wagging his pointing finger at Hogan as he put down his gun. "And you should not be disturbing him! No monkey business! Captain Häffenulz said that the prisoners and guards –"

"We shouldn't we keep the Kommandant awake? _Sure_, Schultz," Hogan answered. "Klink hasn't been sleeping lately. It's not like he's up to handling the new prisoners anyway."

"What do you KNOW about them?" Schultz asked, then, remembering that he knew nothing about their "monkey business", closed his ears with his hands, dropping his gun. "I know NOT-ING, NOT-ING," he said immediately.

"Sure, Schultz," Hogan said in a more hushed tone, trying to hush the guards before the Kommandant came out. "Ignore the Kommandant's orders. Wake him up!"

"No, no, no, no, NO!" Schultz said, shooing Hogan away as he started to hear again, but failing miserably in his task. "The KOMMANDANT will see to the new PRIS-oners when they come and Captain Häffenulz will leave for his new POST."

"Well, why can't Häffenulz take them in?" Hogan asked. "Surely, Klink needs his sleep. Why, if Klink can't sleep, then can he take in the prisoners? How can he watch the other prisoners too? Come on, Schultz, he's bound to be sleeping as he signs the paperwork. And then, they might NOT be at Stalag 13. They might be transferred when they're supposed to stay here. Now, what good would that do?"

"The KOMMANDANT is fine, Colonel Hogan" Schultz answered. "He only needs enough sleep and he'll see the new prisoners." The guard laughed almost seductively. "I hear they're women…" He elbowed Hogan, who laughed along with the Sergeant as his heart raced faster. _So, Schultz knows about them. He might also know if they'll stay here, as intended._

Pulling out a candy bar, Hogan tempted the Sergeant with another treat. As Schultz's eyes watched the candy bar move back and forth in front of his face, Hogan asked, "So, Schultz, what's going to happen to them?"

Schultz took the tasty treat from Hogan's hands before answering. Again, he stuffed the candy bar into his coat pocket, amazing Hogan for the third time that morning. "The prisoners MIGHT be staying here," the guard said. "It de-PENDS…on what Major Hochstetter wants to do with them. General BURK-halter wanted them here. But Major Hochstetter sees them as a THREAT to every-BODY." Schultz smiled. "But how, Colonel HOGAN, can women be such a THREAT?"

"I don't know, Schultz," Hogan replied, resigned. "But I'm sure Hochstetter is barking up the wrong tree. Don't you think?"

Schultz rubbed his chin, thinking. _A dangerous thing_, Hogan thought as Schultz answered. "I am pretty sure that they would…"

"Colonel Hogan!" Kinch had interrupted the thought trail of the guard as he ran up. "There's a message from –"

"I know nothing, NO-TING!" Schultz said, covering his ears once more. He saw Kinch coming up from behind Hogan and, as soon as the Sergeant came to Hogan, knew that it was their "monkey business," hence him covering his ears once more.

"It's ok, Schultz," Hogan said. "We have business to catch up on in the barracks."

"I don't WANT to hear it," Schultz answered. Shaking his head, still covering his ears, the guard made his way back towards Klink's door, ignoring the prisoners and most certainly, forgetting his gun on the ground.

Kinch stared after Schultz, but Hogan got him out of the trance. "What's going on, Kinch?" Hogan asked _his_ second-in-command. Indeed, Hogan had found Kinch reliable, much more than the others, and the two were very good friends. Kinch also settled arguments as best as he could before Hogan came into Stalag 13 and Hogan saw what good he does to the other men his rank.

"The Underground has messaged us, Sir," Kinch said, steering Hogan away from Schultz and the other guards that started to surround Klink's quarters, and most certainly, his office. Häffenulz had, apparently, ordered him to, to keep the prisoners away from disturbing the Kommandant.

"What about?" Hogan asked as they neared Barracks 2.

"The train is going to be arriving soon," Kinch said, saying what Hogan needed to hear. "It is scheduled to arrive at about 0630 hours at the Hammelburg station from going across Poland and down into Germany. Major Hochstetter is waiting there already. Our agent, Maeve, sent word that he looks most anxious to be rid of the prisoners on the train. Hochstetter thinks that they are spies from Paris and work with the Underground."

Hogan sighed. "Are they alive?" He had to know.

"As far as Maeve is concerned," Kinch answered his commanding officer. "If Hochstetter it waiting there, then they are sure to be alive. But one wrong move and we're gone. London knows of their importance and they're determined to keep both under their noses at Stalag 13."

"My thoughts exactly," Hogan said hurriedly, not agreeing with the prisoners staying with him at Stalag 13, as it would, eventually, endanger the new prisoners, Stalag 13 and their operation. This, however, was not lost on Kinch, who raised an eyebrow.

"Are there any other orders?" Kinch asked Hogan.

"All we can do is wait," Hogan admitted. He shrugged his shoulders – a habit that he had gotten into when he came to Stalag 13 – and smiled sheepishly at Kinch. "There isn't anything else we can do. When they come, we can try to keep them out of Hochstetter's ultimate destination."

Kinch knew what that was and nodded his head. "Do you want me to tell the others?" he inquired as they both reached the door to Barracks 2. _Surely, Colonel Hogan wants everyone out of the way when they come_, Kinch thought. _He'll know what to do when he sees them. He's nervous about it, though._

Hogan nodded as well. "I'll stand out here for a while," he said as Kinch opened the door, offering to let him in first. "It'll be a while before anything happens, but I want to be there and ready when it does."

"I understand, Colonel," Kinch answered. He knew better than to contradict Hogan, even when common sense told him otherwise. "I'll come out later, when everyone knows what's going on. I'll have Newkirk and Carter spread the word to the other barracks and their chiefs." And with that, Kinch closed the door.

Hogan himself smiled at the victory. _Alone at last,_ he thought as he walked to the other end of the barracks building. Already, he noticed that the clouds above him were thickening and that rain was imminent. _It's been like that all day,_ he thought. _Almost makes me feel as if something significant will happen today. Maybe today will be a lucky day?_

He sat down at the end of Barracks 2, ignoring the fact that his pants were getting dirty. _I hope she comes soon_, he ran through his mind, wishing that she wouldn't stay at Stalag 13 permanently, seeing as her, her mentor and Hogan are linked and could be sent to the firing squad. He also hoped to send her on her way and back to London…where she always belonged.


	3. Colonel Michalovich and Major White

Hogan didn't have to wait long before the new prisoners arrived. At about 0700 hours, thirty minutes after the scheduled train arrival, a single Gestapo car, not a truck, arrived at the Main Gate of Stalag 13. Guards at the towers shouted for orders from Schultz, but the blundering guard ordered that they be let in. Schultz knew who it was, why only the Gestapo car and what his orders were for the moment. But he also knew that Klink couldn't be disturbed…just yet.

Hogan, perking his ears with the attention, and standing up was joined, within seconds, by his crew of four as they had seen the car come in too. They, too, heard the excitement and had come out quickly to see the action. Indeed, most of the men had suddenly swarmed of their barracks in order to see the new prisoners: women.

"So, they're here n-now?" Carter asked as the guard, his commanding officer and the prisoners came into the camp.

"I guess so," Hogan answered Carter. "And the welcoming party isn't too friendly either."

Hogan watched closely as Hochstetter's car was quickly ushered into the camp by the guards, who wanted nothing more than to be away from the foul mood that was sure to come across the Gestapo officer. But Hogan was more concerned about the prisoners inside. He could not catch a good look at the two women, but saw them briefly, like blurs out the window of a moving train. The blurs revealed much more than he had anticipated.

_Damn, where have they truly been? If London was right and they were supposed to be here months ago, when why now? Why are they suddenly here? Why be placed someplace else and then have us take in the dirty work and get them out of there? I understand that they have information. But, why do they HAVE to stay at Stalag 13? It'll be dangerous as hell for them!_

The guards directed the car to the front of the Kommandant's office, where Schultz now stood as he had waddled from the guard tower. Hogan and his men noted that he was there, trying to warn off Major Hochstetter before he even got out. But the Major was not going to be intimidated by a Sergeant of the Guard.

Taking his two valuable prisoners out of the car by force, Major Hochstetter (and Hogan and his men, for that matter) saw the lips of Colonel Nikola Michalovich move briefly. A dirty look shut the Colonel up, but her companion – Major Nancy Donovan-White – had already been silenced by horrors unseen. Hogan, and even his men, saw that the woman had seen far too many atrocious places, things and events and looked to be unseeing in the relative safety of Stalag 13. Her head was inclined downward and was not, seemingly, able to get back up again.

Colonel Michalovich had the opposite effect upon her arrival at Stalag 13 though. Hogan saw her looking at the huts very closely, as if looking for similarities and differences in each, and saw the satisfying and longing glances on her face. But when she turned to Barracks 2, where Hogan and his men stood silently, glancing with trepidation at the situation, her eyes turned soft. _I had forgotten about her eyes_, Hogan thought as he stared back at the green glare – he knew what she was tempted to do, but knew not to because of the circumstances – and felt emotion wash over him. He was surprised by her humbled state (even all of the men, who saw the women come out, whistled, but knew the sorry state of their old uniforms), alarmed by the circumstances and then angry…angry at how she came to Stalag 13, angry that she had gotten her into spying, angry that she followed him, angry that she put everyone in danger.

_I can't take this anymore!_ The commanding officer of prisoners had enough of the sight and left in anger, pushing his men aside to get back into the barracks, although the rude gesture was not intended. _It's time to listen to the interrogation_, Hogan thought. Already, he knew that Hochstetter had won his battle without listening to the voices outside and Klink had to be woken up. Häffenulz had no choice but to step aside because Hochstetter didn't like him better than Klink. And Hogan knew, as his men tarried behind him and asked what was wrong, that the next battle was for the two prisoners. How they were going to win it and how they were going to stay alive were their next actions, ones that Hogan could not decide for them. His presence was not going to help them at any and neither were his men's. All he had to do was pick a good time to go into Klink's office.

As Hogan went into his quarters and plugged in the coffee pot, his four men came in. Kinch had shut the door as Newkirk asked, "Gov'nor, what was that 'bout?"

"It's time for some affirmative action, men," Hogan answered with authority. "Our spying, and the men around the camp, already has aggravated Hochstetter. If we're out more, he'll surely think of us as familiar to the prisoners. Not to mention, Klink's idiocy will aggravate him any day."

"Oui," LeBeau added. "And it won't help them any."

"So," Hogan said as all gather around the coffee pot, "let us listen before any one of us enters into Klink's office."

"Let's hope, for their sakes, that we can save them in time," Kinch mumbled as he made his way closer to the coffee pot. From their posts, the five men heard their barracks guard yelling at the prisoners to get inside the office, as Klink was now awake and Hochstetter barked more orders to everybody else.


	4. The Interrogation

Silence: it was all they had for over thirty minutes of the interrogation, not matter what question it was. Each question shot by Hochstetter was met with stony silence and each dissatisfaction that Hochstetter had made the prisoners weary with fatigue. Hochstetter was not above hitting them and indeed, was always asking for better methods of interrogation than his hands (_The Gestapo would only be glad to do it, if they had the authority_, Hogan always thought).

Hogan knew this well and had been the target of Hochstetter's interrogations many times, especially after he was captured over Hamburg the year before. And even his men were wincing every time they heard someone being hit or Klink being yelled at for idiocy. Carter kept himself in a stony silence, flinching and whimpering every noise he heard from Hochstetter. No man moved.

_Not even a name, rank and serial number_, Hogan thought as he heard question after question being said. And he quite understood why it would anger Hochstetter more than those words. Silence may mean consent, but it also could save the women from certain death. Still, he listened closely. _What are they doing?_ He had to question himself as Hochstetter went from slow, easy questions (name, rank, serial number, occupation, etc.) to lightning-round inquiries that sure to be met with blank and/or stony faces. Hogan knew both women well enough to know.

"Where were you on the night of December 6, 1942? Colonel Michalovich, answer me!" Hochstetter had no answer so it went to the Major. Still, there was no answer, and for which the women were hit (or one was hit twice). Newkirk covered his eyes and looked about to weep as he heard it.

"Do you know Duncan McLean and _Nite Lites_?" was another question the men heard. With only the occasional thunder in the distance, the men heard nothing but crashes inside the office. And that was when, for the worst, Klink interfered with the interrogation. Kinch jumped and LeBeau was cursing the Germans in French under his breath when they heard the crackling voice of their kommandant.

"Major Hochstetter, get out of _my_ camp! I will not tolerate you having to interrogate female prisoners in this fashion –" Klink began, but Hochstetter surely shattered the Kommandant's temporary backbone.

"That's it, I'm going in," Hogan said, leaving quickly his group. Although there were protests from the men about leaving, they knew better than to doubt Hogan's judgment. Hogan himself even knew that it was time to head into the office and get the women out of there before anything else happened to them. It was a matter of life and death for the Allied Forces.

As he headed out the door of his quarters, Hogan heard Hochstetter's reply to Klink, quick as a whip and awfully dark. "And the Gestapo does as they please, especially to interrogate female prisoners and camp kommandants!" Some crashing noises followed afterward.

_It makes it a better reason to make an appearance_. Hogan practically ran through Barracks 2 and out the door, intent on getting into the office in time. _I need to be there before Hochstetter gets to them._

******

Hogan ignored Fräu Linkmeyer, who was General Burkhalter's sister (and supplanting the secretary' job from Hilde and Helga for a while because the General had plans with Klink), and went straight into the office. Before the new secretary could utter a single word of warning or tell him to get out (indeed, she knew about the examination and was ordered to keep everyone out), the Colonel opened the door.

Seeing the two women almost unconscious on the floor almost unnerved Hogan, but he knocked anyway and kept his usual cool attitude. "Colonel Klink, you have some new prisoners –"

Hochstetter interrupted Hogan, turning to Klink immediately. "Klink, what is this man doing here?!" he yelled as Hogan saw, to his right, Colonel Michalovich trying, weakly, to get up.

As Hochstetter went over to Klink and complained about Hogan and Gestapo policies concerning prisoners of war (Hogan blocked out the many complaints, as they all had heard them before), Hogan interjected into the conversation, trying hard not to bite his lip – a nervous habit of his – and familiarize himself with anyone, seeing how dangerous it is. "I am senior P.O.W. officer here. I reserve the rights of all prisoners that come here. According to the Geneva Convention, I have –"

Both Germans interrupted the Colonel. As Hochstetter told Hogan to shut up, Klink, after gaining some strength from his fright, said, "Hhhhhoooogggggaaaaannnnn, OUT!"

Hogan, feeling defeated, almost walked out of the office when he heard a sniffle. Major Donovan-White was struggling to get up, tears threatening to come down her face. As she tried to climb back into her chair, Hogan felt pity wash over him. He went over to the Major and offered his hand so she could sit comfortably again, hopefully for good. Hochstetter, however, was sure to interrupt that formality, though.

_I'm am officer and gentlemen for nothing_, Hogan thought as he turned to Colonel Michalovich. His friend, lover and helpmate was helpless on the floor. Suddenly, Hogan realized why she could not get up so easily. _Damn, she's wounded! The reports were true._

Stoically, without a single emotion that can be labeled on his face, Hogan went over to the Colonel and picked her up, not caring about the angry wounds on her shoulder and right side. _I'll see to her later. Let's get through this first before her stubbornness decides to take precedence over everything else._ Hogan then placed her back in her chair next to Major Donovan-White, startled that the storm outside began with great force just as Colonel Michalovich was seated again. _Great…just great! Just another thing we need to be worried about: a storm._


	5. One Saved, the Other Lost

Hogan didn't know what effect the storm had on the prisoners before him, but somehow, within seconds, both females had the strength to move on and stand up to Hochstetter. He saw the look on Colonel Michalovich's face – her back rigid, her eye glaring with sheer hatred for the Germans – and then Major Donovan-White, who had copied her commanding officer's posture and manner. Then, for all to hear, the Colonel said the first words after her infamous incident as she came into the gates of Stalag 13: "Nikola Anna Michalovich, Lieutenant Colonel, LC8547960." And with a slow showing of her right arm to show a tattoo, the Colonel continued. "I am an U.S. Army Nurse and former prisoner of Auschwitz."

Hogan was angry and felt betrayed. Granted, she had followed what the Geneva Convention had set forth. However, her last sentence could have damned her. _And she knew better._ But what had shocked him, after Hochstetter had knocked her off of her chair for insolence again, was the Major's statement soon afterward. Just as brave as her commanding officer, the Major said plainly, without emotion, as she grabbed the attention of everyone in the room, "Nancy Sarah Donovan-White, Major, MJ3578063."

Everyone knew that she had something more to say after her name, rank and serial number. Hogan sensed it, as Hochstetter and Klink had, for they leaned forward to hear her next words. Soft, and without a trace of pain, misery or anger in them, Major Donovan-White satisfied Hochstetter in his quest for information, if only for a while. As she lifted her sleeve to show another tattoo, she said, "I was a former prisoner at Auschwitz and… a ringleader in H8WC and a top member of the Allied Underground."

Hogan knew, without a doubt, that she had signed and sealed her death warrant.

Before the Colonel could say a word to her mentor or act rashly to save her, as she was known to do, Hogan grabbed her from the floor and dragged her to her feet. As a wet Schultz opened the door, as he heard the commotion in the office and thought that he was needed, Hogan dragged Colonel Michalovich and walked her out the door. Already, the storm outside was at its height and Hogan hesitated in going out. But he knew that, before his beloved could be shot, she had to stay from Hochstetter's warpath.

_Whether the Major had done it on purpose was another story._ Hogan's only mission, at the moment, was to get the Colonel back to Barracks 2 and into his quarters. He went out the door and ignored the rain and wind.

Colonel Michalovich struggled to break free, but Hogan didn't want her to run in the opposite direction – Hochstetter and his men took Major Donovan-White outside of Klink's office and into the storm – and get herself killed. He felt proud as he dragged her, again and again, across the short distance to Barracks 2 and won. However, the victory was short-lived as Colonel Michalovich escaped as soon as she had the chance and ran off to Klink's office. _Damn her_, Hogan thought as he yelled, "Nikki, get back here! You can't do anything for her now!" The advice was sound, but had no effect on her whatsoever.

Hogan and his men from the barracks' practically opaque window watched as the Colonel went to the Major, trying to reach her and save her. With Hochstetter there, however, there was no hope. Hochstetter was sure to push her away or shoot her.

Hogan, through his trained eyes, stared in horror as Hochstetter and his guard pushed the Colonel back a least three times for trying to reach her mentor. Then – or was it their imaginations? – the convicted Major walked down towards the Main Gate with her captors, mouthing some words to the Colonel on the ground as she turned to face her student. It seemed to symbolize their last moments together and the Colonel was in denial. Colonel Michalovich herself looked on in panic as she got back up, wiping rain and her hair from her face. She could only stare in horror.

This vulnerable moment, something Hogan had seen, was an opportunity to grab her. _She's exhausted and needs rest._ The barracks' doors had opened and swung, with force, to the barracks outside walls and the occupants inside were about to come outside. Hogan signaled for all to stay close inside and away from the Germans. His assignment was not yet over and no other man was to take it from him. He felt responsible.

The moment was right. Hogan, soaked to the skin, ran for Colonel Michalovich and grabbed her from behind as the Gestapo led Major Donovan-White outside the camp. He was glad for the little resistance that was offered and took advantage of it, taking the Colonel to Barracks 2 for recovery.

_She's finally in our hands,_ Hogan thought as he got Colonel Michalovich in Barracks 2. As soon as Kinch held the door for him, hanging onto dear life and making sure that it didn't stay open or get unhinged by the wind, Hogan got the Colonel inside. Joyous shouts of "Kommandant!" and "Colonel!" greeted Hogan's ears, but he had no heart for it. The men saw it too – saw the horrors outside – and their enthusiasm was stilled. Quickly and quietly, Hogan navigated Colonel Michalovich straight into his quarters as the door was closed by four other men (not including Kinch). Hogan wanted to avoid all of the men and ordered a path be made with only a stern face. All obeyed him and few had the audacity to ask what was going to happen next.

Carter had closed the door to the adjacent room behind Hogan and Michalovich and for that, Hogan was grateful. He gave him the time…the space…to get his beloved Nikki to the bottom bunk and get her to sleep. She held nothing against him and still was not struggling with him, which was deemed a good thing. Hogan guessed that she was more resigned than tired, but was not certain. He had to talk her down and make her rest.

Colonel Michalovich laid down in the bunk with no trouble, watching Hogan move his lips as he calmed her. Her eyes even drooped with weariness as Hogan talked to her. "Nikki, you're here now. We're here to help you and do whatever it takes to make you safe, but after getting that rocket base destroyed, we'll see. It's dangerous for us to be together here." Hogan thought of more words to say, but couldn't other than saying, "I'll do anything, in my power, to keep you and the men safe. You are all first. I'll risk my life for you and keep you alive."

Finally, the Colonel had closed her eyes, sleeping with soothing words in her mind, Hogan can hope. But when Hogan realized it, for his own breath had been held in this strange circumstance, his door opened without the usual knock.

"Gov'nor, I think you should see this." Newkirk had popped his head in, urgently calling his commanding officer away from his important post. Hogan jumped with fright, angry at being disturbed at such a private moment.

"What is it?" Hogan asked with some trace of annoyance in his voice.

"S-sir, I t-think you should come out here." Carter's voice was heard from the main room of the barracks. He was panicking and his stutter was sure to be growing worse if he spoke further. He was frightened by something.

"Oui, it's important, Colonel Hogan," LeBeau said from behind Newkirk.

"Ok, ok, I'm coming," Hogan said, looking back at Colonel Michalovich quickly. Satisfied that she was fine as he looked at her for a second, Hogan left his quarters, closing the door behind him.

Hogan let himself be led to whatever was troubling the men. Newkirk led him, by the shoulders familiarly, to the window opposite of the main door of their barracks. "Look out there, Sir," Newkirk said, stopping Hogan in front of the window.

"What…?" The commanding officer had looked out the window and, waiting a few seconds for his eyesight to become accustomed to the storm outside, saw a sight outside the fence. The rain was lessening, but the storm still raged outside and the windows almost offered Hogan no view of what the men were talking about, but soon enough, he saw it.

Hochstetter and his guard, outside the fence, had forced Major Donovan-White into a section near Barracks 14. Faraway, Hogan squinted until the scene was clearer in his mind. He pictured the Major being led by gunpoint after her confession…had her walk to this section outside the camp. With his men crowding behind him and fogging up the window, Hogan watched (and wiped the window often with his wet jacket sleeve, with made it worse sometimes) as Hochstetter abused the older woman, ordering her to dig a hole with her bare hands as he kicked her from behind. The men, with quiet minds and revolted glances, would not close their eyes to the next events.

Before Major Donovan-White was allowed to finish digging in the mud, Hochstetter had his guard pick the woman up and stand her up. As she staggered with this task, Hochstetter prepared his gun for the slaughter and ordered his guard to do the same. As Major Donovan-White looked to her killers with some compassion and pity, a series of shots ended her life from both guns, hitting her in the head and face several times.

And that was the end of it. Hochstetter kicked the obviously-dead body into the shallow hole, shot the body again for good measure, and had the guard called for another from the camp. A Luftwaffe guard from the Main Gate answered the call and, with hand motions, was ordered by Hochstetter and his guard to bury the lifeless body as he came by. Without protest, the Luftwaffe guard did as he was told, covering the body with little kindness and respect as he kicked some mud on the body and barely covered it. With a final stomp with his foot, the Luftwaffe guard nodded, letting the two know that the job was done. Hochstetter nodded back, motioning his guard back into Stalag 13, where the three disappeared, going in different directions, as soon as the gates opened for the trio.

_So ends the life of Major Nancy Donovan-White, U.S. Army nurse._ Hogan's sadness was evident on his face to his men. Within the next second, his Colonel's hat was off and next to his heart. His men, copying the motion if they had head gear, listened to the Colonel as he said, "To Major Donovan-White: her dedication to the U.S. Army will never be forgotten by all of us here today." His voice shook with fear and respect, mixed with extreme sadness at such a courageous, good woman.

The men repeated his words, her name a foreign word to their mouths. _But they had witnessed it themselves,_ Hogan thought. _She had saved Nikki and our operation on the same day in order for us to save the Allied Forces because the initial mission failed. Her death was a great sacrifice. Oh, God, she will never be forgotten._

"To Major Donovan-White," Kinch said behind Hogan. "May she rest in peace, deserving what she had not gained in life."

"Amen," someone else said, echoing a word of hope and promise. However, to the men, the danger was far from over. The prelude to danger was only over. There was more to come.


End file.
